FEEL THE MUSIC PROJECT

MUSIC THERAPY
FOR CHILDREN/ADULT
WITH
DISABILITIES & SPECIAL NEEDS

MUSIC THERAPY HOUSE

…The healing Spirit…

BY

KEHINDE EMMANUEL
+2348054240542
The Management,

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Ibadan.
MUSIC THERAPY HOUSE PROPOSAL
On behalf of MUSIC THERAPY HOUSE,we propose for the presence of a music therapy in your
organization. As how the Music therapy aims to facilitate positive changes in behaviour and
emotional well-being and is essentially a social activities involving communication, listening
and sharing.

From a therapeutic perspective, music has a number of benefit for people with disabilities.
Music also provides significant Memorization assistance. Maybe the most important thing for
some people is the fact that they can Participate in music even if they experience difficulties in
other areas and music therapist are trained to help them accomplish this goal. Successful
participation in music can find a person with a disability feeling motivated to pursue additional
efforts.

Music is also a effective way to stimulate to focus a person attention and might be particularly
significant for some people who may not respond to other type of intervention. An entire
therapeutic intervention might be structured using music to maintain a persons attention.
Changes in music may provide other signal i.e. alert the important interaction or information
coming. Some kinds of music might also provide a calming effect when a persons anxiety
interferes with their cognitive focus.

We have attached a detailed proposal of the music therapy existence in the school/homes e..t.c.
We hope you will give it a read and we can discuss further giving life to this idea in our world
and organization.

Regards,

MUSIC THERAPY HOUSE

River of God Church,
Orita Challenge,
Ibadan.
+2348054240524,+2348148718264,+2348167640203.
Orchestramusictherapyhouse@gmail.com

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 MUSIC AS A THERAPY
Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic
relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. ... Music therapy
also provides avenues for communication that can be helpful to those who find it difficult to express
themselves in words.

. By interacting with adults and children on the autism spectrum, musical therapist can build skills,
lower anxiety, and even develop new communication skills.
WHY MUSIC THERAPY MIGHT BE A GOOD CHOICE
Music therapy may help people with autism to improve skills in areas such as communication,social
skills,sensory issues, behaviour,cognition,perceptual/motor skills, and self-reliance or self
determination. The therapist finds music that strike a chord with a particular person,making personal
connections and building trust.
WHAT DOES A MUSIC THERAPIST DO FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM?
After assessing the strengths and needs of each person, music therapist develop a treatment plan with
goals and objectives and then provide appropriate treatment. Music therapist work with both
individuals and small groups, using a variety of music and techniques. A good music therapist should
be able to develop strategies that can be implemented at home or at school.
People on the autism spectrum are often especially interested in and responsive to music Because music
is motivating and engaging , it may be used as a natural ‘reinforcer’ for desired responses. Music
therapy can also help those with sensory aversion to certain sounds to cope with sound sensitivities or
individual differences in auditory processing.
5 BENEFITS OF MUSIC THERAPY FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Now that we have an understanding of what music therapy is, we can explain how it is beneficial to
those living with mental health challenges.
1. Developing useful coping strategies
When dealing with symptoms of mental illness, we hear the common expression of “using coping
strategies” to help lessen symptoms. Music therapy can provide a wide variety of different coping skills
including breathing techniques, rhythmic grounding, auditory grounding, relaxation, and distraction.
In music therapy, these strategies are practiced, so when a crisis arises, one knows how to utilize their
strategies effectively.
2. Developing positive emotional behavior
Sometimes when struggling with mental health, the hardest question to answer is “how are you?”. Many
people default into saying “good”, “fine”, or “okay,” without knowledge of what those words truly mean
to them in that moment. Music therapy can help with the identification and labeling of emotions in a
safe environment that can transfer over into better communication of feelings and needs in other
situations. Emotional behavior also includes emotional awareness and the non-verbal expression of
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emotions. Music therapy can be a useful tool in learning how to safely express emotions either verbally
or non-verbally in order to increase emotional regulation.

3. Increasing frustration tolerance

Mental health challenges can cause frustration to increase in some situations. Many times when
frustration is at its peak, that is when many mental health symptoms start to exhibit themselves and
become too overwhelming to handle. Through music therapy, one can work on building frustration
tolerance in a controlled environment through something creative in nature. For example, a music
therapist may engage the client in a structured improvisation based on themes dealing with mental
health (i.e. triggers, overcoming frustration, reflecting the emotions felt in a panic attack) to work on
developing how to experience and overcome frustration. Music therapy can also help clients learn
relaxation techniques to help prevent frustration from increasing.
4. Improving interpersonal relationships
Though mental health is often thought of as a personal issue, it does impact our daily relationships. This
could be with family, friends, acquaintances, significant others, workplace relationships, or even
strangers you happen to meet day to day. Mental health troubles can cause us to isolate, lash-out, or
want to disconnect from those around us. Music therapy can provide opportunities to practice social
skills that can later be transferred to daily relationships. More times in music therapy this is done in a
group setting, but can also be addressed individually.
5. Improving self awareness, self-esteem, and self-image
Part of the battle with mental health is trying to understand what is happening in your mind and how
it’s affecting you. Mental health challenges can take a toll on our esteem and the image that we have of
ourselves as well. Music therapy can help support these and increase insight into one’s behavior and
self. It is hard to be kind to yourself when you are feeling at your lowest. A music therapist can guide
you through the low moments to find the good qualities within yourself that will guide you through the
rough times, and help you look forward to the positive times ahead.

Isn’t it interesting how hearing a particular song can bring back a special memory or make you feel
happy or calm or pumped up? People are born with the ability to tell the difference between music and
noise. Our brains actually have different pathways for processing different parts of music including
pitch, melody, rhythm, and tempo. And, fast music can actually increase your heart rate, breathing, and
blood pressure, while slower music tends to have the opposite effect.

While the effects of music on people are not fully understood, studies have shown that when you hear
music to your liking, the brain actually releases a chemical called dopamine that has positive effects on
mood. Music can make us feel strong emotions, such as joy, sadness, or fear—some will agree that it has
the power to move us. According to some researchers, music may even have the power to improve our
health and well-being.

Though more studies are needed to confirm the potential health benefits of music, some studies suggest
that listening to music can have the following positive effects on health.

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 1. Improves mood. Studies show that listening to music can benefit overall well-being, help
regulate emotions, and create happiness and relaxation in everyday life.
2. Reduces stress. Listening to ‘relaxing’ music (generally considered to have slow tempo, low pitch,
and no lyrics) has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety in healthy people and in people
undergoing medical procedures (e.g., surgery, dental, colonoscopy).
3. Lessens anxiety. In studies of people with cancer, listening to music combined with standard
care reduced anxiety compared to those who received standard care alone.
4. Improves exercise. Studies suggest that music can enhance aerobic exercise, boost mental and
physical stimulation, and increase overall performance.
5. Improves memory. Research has shown that the repetitive elements of rhythm and melody help
our brains form patterns that enhance memory. In a study of stroke survivors, listening to music
helped them experience more verbal memory, less confusion, and better focused attention.
6. Eases pain. In studies of patients recovering from surgery, those who listened to music before,
during, or after surgery had less pain and more overall satisfaction compared with patients who
did not listen to music as part of their care.
7. Provides comfort. Music therapy has also been used to help enhance communication, coping,
and expression of feelings such as fear, loneliness, and anger in patients who have a serious
illness, and who are in end-of-life care.
8. Improves cognition. Listening to music can also help people with Alzheimer’s recall seemingly
lost memories and even help maintain some mental abilities.
9. Helps children with autism spectrum disorder. Studies of children with autism spectrum
disorder who received music therapy showed improvement in social responses, communication
skills, and attention skills.
10. Soothes premature babies. Live music and lullabies may impact vital signs, improve feeding
behaviors and sucking patterns in premature infants, and may increase prolonged periods of
quiet–alert states.

The Benefits and Effects of Music for People with Dementia

Music is proving to be good medicine for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Research shows that while dementia causes progressive memory loss and impairment, memory for
music remains. That means that melodies can often be remembered long after names, faces and words
are forgotten. Data indicates that music for dementia patients can boost mood, reduce agitation and
improve focus. Best of all, music helps people in all stages of dementia connect with fond memories. 

Music for Dementia

There’s a science behind the benefits of music for dementia patients. Music stimulates many parts of the
brain at the same time, such as those areas affecting language, mood and movement, along with the

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senses of hearing, sight, sound and touch. Therefore, as a therapy, music for dementia patients can help
improve quality of life. 

At orchestra music therapy house, caregivers know that music for dementia patients can help residents
stay as engaged and happy as possible. Some of the ways we use music for dementia include:

 Starting the day: Playing or singing animated, happy songs when helping a dementia patient
start the day can ease dressing and morning hygiene activities.
 Breaking a repetitive behavior: Listening to a familiar song can help a dementia patient break
away from a repetitive behavior like asking the same question over and over, or repeating a
motion or activity.
 Helping with communication: Music can be a way to communicate for dementia patients who
have lost the ability to speak. When listening to a favorite tune, dementia patients may clap, nod
or tap in rhythm to the music. When they join in sing-alongs, they are often able to express
themselves and gain the benefits of joining in a social activity.
 Stimulating activity: Adding music to therapy or exercise sessions helps dementia patients focus
on moving. Singing while doing exercise helps patients with their breathing and keeps them
engaged with the activity.
 Easing into nighttime routines: Soft, calming music can create a calm environment and ease
sundowning behavior (like anxiety or anger) and create a serene atmosphere for bedtime
routines.

Music therapy for schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like disorders

What are the effects of providing music therapy or adding music therapy to treatment for people with
schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like disorders?
Characteristics of schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like disorders are disordered thoughts, feelings,
beliefs and perceptions. People with schizophrenia often have two main types of symptoms: the acute
symptoms of hearing voices or seeing things (hallucinations) and strange beliefs (delusions), and
chronic symptoms such as low mood/depression, social withdrawal, and memory problems. Music
therapy is a therapeutic approach that uses music experiences to help people with serious mental
disorders improve their emotional and relational competencies and addresses issues that they may not
be able to using words alone.

Music remains a powerful way of uniting people:

 national anthems connect crowds at sporting events

 protest songs stir a sense of shared purpose during marches

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  hymns build group identity in houses of worship
 love songs help prospective partners bond during courtship
 lullabies enable parents and infants to develop secure attachments

How, then, does music benefit us as individuals?

Music’s effects on the mind,It can lead to better learning,It can improve memory,
Music also has a positive effect on your ability to memorize.It can help treat mental illness Music
literally changes the brain. Neurological researchers have found that listening to music triggers the
release of several neurochemicals that play a role in brain function and mental health:

Music’s effects on mood:- One of the most common uses of music? It helps people regulate their
emotionsTrusted Source, researchers found. It has the power to change moods and help people process
their feelings.
It can help lower anxiety:-There’s lots of evidence that listening to music can help calm you in
situations where you might feel anxious.

MUSIC THERAPY HOUSE have shown that people in rehab after a stroke are more relaxed once they’ve
listened to music for an hour. Similar MUSIC THERAPY HOUSE indicate that music blended with nature
sounds help people feel less anxious. Even people facing critical illness feel less anxiety after music
therapy. There’s conflicting evidence about whether listening to music has an effect on your body’s
physiological stress response, however. MUSIC THERAPY HOUSE indicated that the body releases less
cortisol, a stress hormone, when people listen to music. This same study referenced previous research
stating that music had little measurable effect on cortisol levels. listening to music before a stressful
event doesn’t reduce anxiety, listening to relaxing music after a stressful event can help your nervous
system recover faster.
It helps the symptoms of depression:-A research concluded that listening to music, particularly classical
combined with jazz, had a positive effect on depression symptoms, especially when there were several
listening sessions conducted by music therapist
Musical genre matters for depression

One important note: MUSIC THERAPY HOUSE have found that nostalgic sad tunes can actually increase
symptoms of depression, especially if you tend to ruminate or withdraw socially. Not surprising,
perhaps, but important to know if you want to use music to counteract the blues.
Music’s effects on the body
It can help your heart health :-Music can make you want to move — and the benefits of dancing are
well documented. Scientists also know that listening to music can alterTrusted Source your breath rate,
your heart rate, and your blood pressure, depending on the music’s intensity and tempo.
It decreases fatigue:- Anyone who has ever rolled down car windows and turned up the radio knows
that music can be energizing. There’s solid science behind that lived experience. relaxing music helped
reduce fatigue and maintain muscle endurance when people were engaged in a repetitive task.
It boosts exercise performance:- Exercise enthusiasts have long known that music enhances their
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physical performance. working out with music improves your mood, helps your body exercise more
efficiently, and cuts down on your awareness of exertion. In clinical settings, athletes who listened to
high-intensity, fast music during warmups were motivatedTrusted Source to perform better
competitively.
It can help manage pain

Specially trained music therapists use music to help alleviate pain in inpatient and outpatient settings.
music helps people manage both acute and chronic pain better than medication alone.

The takeaway

Music exerts a powerful influence on human beings. It can boost memory, build task
endurance, lighten your mood, reduce anxiety and depression, stave off fatigue, improve
your response to pain, and help you work out more effectively.

Working with a  music therapist  is one effective way to take advantage of the many
benefits music can have on your body, mind, and overall health.